


loneliness

by mazelinka (ariatl)



Category: Mass Effect: Andromeda
Genre: Angst, F/M, Short, and this has been sitting in my drafts for awhile so i figured why not, because i've had the world's worst writer's block, sorry i just needed to post Something to make myself feel better
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-11
Updated: 2018-01-11
Packaged: 2019-03-03 10:06:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 555
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13338975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ariatl/pseuds/mazelinka
Summary: distance is a horrible thing; time spent far apart for far too long, desire a useless ache that leaves a sour taste in her mouth





	loneliness

Her body shot up with a ragged gasp, a cold sweat dotting her hot skin and leaving her breathless as the blankets that had been wrapped around her body pooled around her waist. Her clothes clung to her skin in a muted chill, sweat trickling down her back and slicking down the fabric with each shuddered breath that escaped her -

A chime from her omni-tool caught her attention, numbed hands blindly reaching for it on her nightstand as her bloodshot gaze met the looming, terrifying swirl of the black hole mere miles away that seemed to linger in her window.

Black on black, swirled and encapsulated by nebulae of blue, never-ending, never-ceasing, tumultuous and rapid; There, there, there, watching her every move and breathing down her neck, growing closer each day and weighing her down with each step –

She didn’t know why it scared her.

But it does.

Ainsley pushed the sweat-slicked, ginger hair away from her eyes, sliding the familiar cool of her omni-tool over her wrist and tapping it alive. She savored the cold. Orange flickered over her forearm, bathing her soft features in a warm light that seemed to dance through and lighten up the darkness of her bedroom.

His name made her smile as she pressed  _accept_ on the vidcall _,_  a sigh of relief escaping her.

 _“If it isn’t my favorite Pathfinder,”_ his rich voice drawled, rushing through and grasping ahold of every inch of her stress and anxiety and breathing it away in a dizzying rush. Relief. Pure, and utter, relief. The shadowed, static-lined vision of him,  _him_ , across her screen was enough to make her forget everything and anything.  _“I hope I didn’t wake you up – I have a hard enough time keeping track of Kadaran time, let alone… Tempest time, I suppose.”_

“I’m the  _only_  Pathfinder. Right now, at least. I guess. And you didn’t,” a crack in her voice made her clear her throat. It sounded hoarse, tired, weighed down by an inexplicable exhaustion. “I had –“ She quickly shook her head, swallowing down her words with a frustrated sigh. It felt stupid, suddenly. Her dream. “It’s… It’s nothing, honestly.”

 _“What’s wrong?”_  The worry in his eyes when she met his gaze made her falter – She felt guilty, almost, immediately looking away.  _“You know you can tell me anything, Ainsley.”_

“I know.” Ainsley shook her head, letting out a soft sigh that slacked her shoulders.

A soft silence fell between them, infinitesimal and gentle, as she lifted her hand, pressing it just below the holographic breath of him that flickered across the screen. Tired eyes glanced up to meet amber-loved ones, catching a warmth that rushed through her body and danced in pirouettes down her spine. His hand met hers against the screen, no hesitation, and she swallowed thickly at the feel of empty static beneath her hand.

It’s not  _him._

Her heart ached with a want that couldn’t be filled, the distance too great, too far. She longed to feel him beneath her fingertips, real, tangible,  _hers_ , a bubble in her throat threatening to burst at the lingering ghost of his warmth. A shaky breath left her as she blinked back tears, her gaze falling to stare down at her lap –

It was too much.

She wanted  _him_.

Her voice cracked. “I just… Wish you were here.”


End file.
